25th International Conference of FFC - 13th International Symposium of ASFFBC

Encounters of Functional Foods and Asian Traditional Medicines

The Functional Food Center (FFC) is excited to announce the FFC’s 2018 International Conference titled “Encounters of Functional Foods and Asian Traditional Medicines.” This conference will be held on October 27 – 28, 2018 at Ritsumeikan University, Osaka-Ibaraki Campus in Osaka, Japan. The aim of this conference is to bring together leaders and experts in the field of functional foods to discuss and share ideas utilizing functional foods for medicine to combat various diseases. This conference will bring together experts in medicine, biology, and the food industry to discuss the functional foods with bioactive compounds as dietary interventions for chronic diseases.

Main Conference Sessions:

Functional Food Definition and the Status in Japan and USA

Japanese traditional medicine (Kampo medicine)

Traditional medicines in China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Indonesia

Traditional medicines and functional foods

Functional Food Ingredients: Sources and Potential Benefits in Public Health

17:30-19:30 Evening Networking Reception: On the evening of October 27, 2018, we will be holding an enjoyable networking opportunity with us from 17:30-19:30 including live music. All attendees and speakers are welcome to come. This event will also be providing refreshments and appetizers, including beer, wine, champagne, Italian cheeses, salads, and more. Space is limited, and advance online registration is required. Please let us know if you are interested (ffc@functionalfoodcenter.com)

The role of nutrition in the development and functioning of the immune system

The role of prebiotics and probiotics in the prevention of chronic allergy

Welcome Letter

The Functional Food Center (FFC) is excited to announce the FFC’s 2018 International Conference titled “Encounters of Functional Foods and Asian Traditional Medicines.” This conference will be held on October 27 – 28, 2018 at Ritsumeikan University, Osaka-Ibaraki Campus in Osaka, Japan. We will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the College of Life Sciences and the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ritsumeikan University. The aim of this conference is to bring together leaders and experts in the field of functional foods to discuss and share ideas utilizing functional foods for medicine to combat various diseases.

The Functional Food Center currently defines “functional foods” as “natural or processed foods that contains known or unknown biologically-active compounds; which, in defined, effective non-toxic amounts, provide a clinically proven and documented health benefit for the prevention, management, or treatment of chronic disease.” Functional foods contain bioactive compounds to combat and treat nutrition-related diseases and can increase the physical and mental well-being of people. The idea of functional foods was first introduced in Japan in the early 1980s, and the functional food industry has since rapidly developed to become accepted throughout many countries around the world. Functional foods have become a very lucrative market in many Asian countries and have had a substantial growth in the past five years. There is typically less awareness of healthcare and healthcare facilities in Asia, which lead people to rely on functional foods as a source to prevent against diseases and illnesses. The use of medicinal herbs from foods has long been used in Asian culture for treating a vast variety of health ailments. Recent research on both functional foods and traditional Asian medicines have shown there to be many interlinking factors from both to be used to treat illnesses.

Dr. Mikio Nishizawa of the College of Biomedical Sciences at Ritsumeikan University will be co-chair of this conference. He began working at Ritsumeikan University in 2007 and has been studying about an antisense transcript-mediated mechanism to post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of the genes that are involved in inflammation, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase gene. Functional foods that affect the expression of these genes are other important targets of his research. Dr. Nishizawa was an outstanding lecturer in our previous 19th International Conference held in Kobe, Japan. We are excited to be working with Dr. Nishizawa again to make this conference a huge success.

Along with the other organizing committee members from universities throughout Japan and the FFC, Dr. Mikio Nishizawa proudly welcomes all to Ritsumeikan University and Osaka, Japan. We hope to bring together experts and those interested in the connection between Asian traditional medicines and functional foods to further discuss the progress in this field so far. We also hope to attract experts in the field of functional foods from around the world to present their findings on the use of functional foods to promote health and prevent disease. Osaka has much to offer with its rich culture and blend of modern architecture and nightlife. The 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle is one of the major historical landmarks to visit, and the unique varieties of street foods are not to be missed. We look forward to welcoming you our conference at Ritsumeikan University and enjoy the robust culture of Osaka, Japan.

We would like to invite anyone interested in speaking or organizing special sessions for the conference. Organizers will be responsible for creating a special sessions and finding speakers who would like to speak in their session. Speakers and organizers will need to provide a short bio (with image) and biosketch. Again, we are very excited to present to you the 2018 International Conference by the FFC held at Ritsumeikan University, Osaka-Ibaraki Campus in Osaka, Japan: “Functional Foods and Asian Traditional Medicines,” and appreciate your efforts to make this conference a success.

Venue and Accommodation

Ritsumeikan University Osaka Ibaraki Campus

Ibaraki city is located between Kyoto and Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city. While having many ancient tombs including the Oda Chausuyama-kofun Burial Mound (Mausoleum of Emperor Keitai), the city is well supplied with commercial districts, supermarkets and large shopping centers near the stations and across the city. The northern part of Ibaraki city is filled with scenic nature including the Oinosaka mountain range and Tanba Plateau. Ritsumeikan University Osaka Ibaraki Campus is built in an urban area situated in the southern half of the city. There are also many parks and areas of greenery within the city, one of which being the remarkable Expo ’70 Commemorative Park.

The history of Ritsumeikan dates back to 1869 when Prince Kinmochi Saionji, an eminent international statesman of modern Japan, founded "Ritsumeikan" as a private academy on the site of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. In 1900, Kojuro Nakagawa, former secretary of Prince Saionji, established Kyoto Hosei School, an evening law school that was open to working people. This school formally adopted the name Ritsumeikan in 1913 and was finally given the status of a university in 1922.

Today, Ritsumeikan University offers a wide range of courses in advanced studies at its Kinugasa Campus in Kyoto, Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC) in Shiga and Osaka Ibaraki Campus (OIC) in Osaka. The year 2000 marked the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Ritsumeikan private school and the 100th year of the establishment of Ritsumeikan University.

Osaka Ibaraki

Ibaraki city is located between Kyoto and Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city. While having many ancient tombs including the Oda Chausuyama-kofun Burial Mound (Mausoleum of Emperor Keitai), the city is well supplied with commercial districts, supermarkets and large shopping centers near the stations and across the city. The northern part of Ibaraki city is filled with scenic nature including the Oinosaka mountain range and Tanba Plateau.

Located just outside JR Ibaraki Station, Hotel Crest Ibaraki offers convenient access to Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Great for both business and leisure travelers with easy access from Kansai Airport, this 165-room hotel features a relaxing large public bath featuring an outdoor bath, as well as meeting rooms and a restaurant offering breakfast service. Rooms feature a modern decor and come equipped with a TV, refrigerator, as well as several other convenient amenities. LAN and WiFi service available as well.

One min walk from JR Ibaraki station ( Ibaraki station is 10 min by train from Shin-Osaka station ) / 70 min by Express Limousine Bus from Kansai International Airport / 30 min by Osaka Monorail from Osaka International Airport ( also known as Itami Airport )

Tourism:

Universal Studios Japan: Theme Park; Universal Studios Japan, located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd., which is wholly owned by NBCUniversal. http://www.usj.co.jp

Osaka Castle: Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Ch??-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama periodhttps://www.osakacastle.net

Dotonbori: The name “Dotonbori” generally refers both to the Dotonbori Canal and to Dotonbori Street which runs parallel to the canal’s southern bank. It is one of the most colorful areas in Osaka and an absolute must-visit location when traveling through Kansai region. The lively entertainment area of Dotonbori is Osaka’s most famous tourist destination and renowned for its gaudy neon lights, extravagant signage, and the enormous variety of restaurants and bars.https://www.osakastation.com/dotonbori-area-the-bright-heart-of-osaka/

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan: The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is an aquarium located in the ward of Minato in Osaka, Japan, near Osaka Bay. It is one of the largest public aquariums in the world, and is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums.http://www.kaiyukan.com

Shitenno-ji: Shitenno-ji is a Buddhist temple in ?saka, Japan. It is sometimes regarded as the first Buddhist and oldest officially administered temple in Japan, although the temple buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries.http://www.shitennoji.or.jp

Umeda Sky Building, Kuchu Teien Observatory: The observation platform of this observatory is a bridge connecting the two towers of the Umeda Sky Building, whose roof features a doughnut shape that provides an unobstructed 360-degree view. While enjoying the breathtaking sights you can also directly feel the wind?which at 170 meters off the ground can get quite strong. From this observatory you can not only see all of Osaka but as far away as Awaji Island. The basement of the building houses the Takimi-Koji gourmet street with old fashioned images of Osaka from the 1920s.https://osaka-info.jp/en/page/umeda-sky-building

Tempozan Ferris Wheel: Tempozan Ferris Wheel is located in Osaka, Japan, at Tempozan Harbor Village, next to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, one of the largest aquariums in the world. The wheel has a height of 112.5 metres and diameter of 100 metres.http://www.senyo.co.jp/tempozan/

Tennoji Zoo: The zoo's approximately 11 hectares house 1,000 animals of 200 different types, including everything from lions, and chimpanzees, to the always-popular koalas, New Zealand kiwis (which can only be viewed at the Tennoji zoo), and distinctive, black-headed drills. In addition to attempting to reproduce the animals' natural habitats as closely as possible, the Tennoji Zoo also serves as a kind of ecological exhibition, introducing the public to the way these animals live.